


Swallowed By Your Pride

by TowardsZero



Category: Original Work
Genre: Dragons, F/M, Interspecies Romance, Royalty, Size Difference, Talking Animals, Vore, i got carried away with the build up i think, there is no sex but she gets just a little horny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:42:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25839025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TowardsZero/pseuds/TowardsZero
Summary: A tale of a princess who wants to be swallowed whole by her childhood pet/best friend.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 10





	Swallowed By Your Pride

The princess sat on her bed with an annoyed pout, her arms crossed both to hold her handmade dragon doll close to herself and to convey to her father just how _upset_ she was. Her big blue eyes glared up at him with all the typical fire that comes with a small child's temper tantrum.

"But I want a dragon."

"Sophia, you know we cannot-"

"But I _want_ a _dragon_." She squeezed the red and yellow velvet of her plush. The king sighed.

"Sophia, it is not that simple. You cannot just get a dragon." He scratched his beard thoughtfully, trying to find a way to explain it so a child could understand thoroughly. "For one, they are remarkably intelligent creatures — almost as smart as you or I."

His daughter wasn't impressed. "So?"

"So adult dragons refuse to be adopted, just like a human would."

"I don't care. I want a baby dragon."

"That is what makes this so difficult, Sophia. Dragon hatchlings are raised by their mother and father, just like you. We cannot take a dragon from its parents, can we?"

"Well-" Sophia paused, gripping the dragon's face. "Find a dragon with no parents!"

Naturally, the king had prepared himself for his child to make unreasonable requests. He may have been of royal blood, but his kingdom wasn't outstandingly powerful and orphaning a beast was out of the question.

"You already have Henry with you." He motioned towards the plush being cradled in her arms. "Is he not good enough?"

This question genuinely stumped Sophia. She glanced down at it frantically, starting several sentences but finishing none of them coherently. "I-I-... I don't like Henry anymore," she cried, pushing it away with an exaggerated thrust of her arms.

The king shook his head. "I'm sorry, dear," he gently replied, "but we must go to sleep now."

The young girl's arms shook with a resigned anger as the door to her room shut, the guards stationed outside it left to hear her wail into her toy throughout dusk.

* * *

It was a year or so later when Sophia emerged from a forest neighboring the castle, following the horrified screams of "PRINCESS!" — no doubt referring to herself. Before she could get a bearing of which neck of the woods she was just in, an ironclad man came barreling towards her, nearly sliding in the grass as he knelt down and grabbed her by the shoulders, eliciting a surprised yelp.

"Princess Sophia! Are you alright?! The whole kingdom was put on alert following your disappearance-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" She squirmed under the guard's grip, able to step backwards only once he decided to let go.

"You shouldn't have wandered out of my sight like that! Any number of things could've happened to you out there, all of which would have made your dad very angry at me. Dear God, you're perfectly fine and he's _still_ fuming. I'm going to lose my job-"

"I said I'm fine! I was gone for two hours, stop with your whining!" She kicked defiantly at the guard's shin with a heeled shoe, sounding a useless clank.

"Actually, looking a second time, you caught a bit of mud at the bottom of your dress. That's made of very expensive fabric, you realize?"

Sophia was seething. "L-leave me alone!" she growled.

"I'm afraid you'll have to come back with me, young lady." The guard picked up the princess under her armpits through chilly metal gauntlets. "You have a lot of explaining to do to your daddy if you don't want me back on the streets-"

A shrill roar caught him off guard, sending him stumbling backwards after dropping the girl to the ground. Sophia immediately found her footing and dashed towards the thick shade of the forest, and in her place a crimson-scaled dragon about three or four times her size came stomping out. The guard was only momentarily dazed, soon shouting "Princess, what do you think you're doing running towards that monster?!" and drawing his longsword.

The threat of having its scales sliced into was enough to set the dragon straight, causing it to lower its head and step backwards in a confession of defeat. Shaking, the princess's head peeked out from behind an oak tree.

"He's- he's a baby."

"What?!"

She nodded, stepping towards the dragon and petting one of its front legs. A low rumbling growl mimicked a feline purr. "He's not gonna hurt you, he's a baby." She demonstrated by wrapping her arms closely around the leg. The guard wiped a bit of sweat off his forehead, dumbfounded.

"I can't- we can't- Princess, can you not see that that is a _beast?_ You're putting yourself in jeopardy!"

Gripping the sword two-handed, he lunged forth to sheathe it inside the dragon's chest, but was stopped by an ear-piercing shriek. Sophia pulled herself off the dragon's limb and stepped in front of it.

"If I can't take him home with me," she demanded with a hoarse voice, "then I'm not coming with you!"

" _What?!_ "

The look in her eyes told the guard this wasn't a matter of a child saying something foolish in the moment to get what they want. No, the princess was serious. Feeling the only other option would be to haul a kicking and screaming child home, he withdrew his blade and swallowed his pride.

"F... fine. You are royalty, who am I to disobey?"

Sophia smiled satisfactorily. He was easy enough to push around, she thought — in all likelihood, she would have left with him mildly annoyed if he pressed the issue whatsoever.

"Just... keep the damned thing in check, alright? I can't imagine anyone wants to be eaten by it."

* * *

"That is _not_ a baby."

Slack-jawed, the king stared at the dragon in amazement. The temperate sunlight gracing the courtyard made its red scales shimmer brilliantly, as did the fewer yellow scales of its belly the light hit. "Not once have I heard mention of a hatchling that can grow to a size so great. Sophia, do not tell me you managed to tame this beast on your own?"

"I-I didn't tame him," the princess defensively responded as she clung to the side of the dragon. "He's friendly because he's a baby."

"As I said, it cannot be. It is far too large, and its horns have began to grow in."

"But... he's at least still a kid, right?"

"That does sound more reasonable."

He spent a little longer in silence examining the creature, which he had previously never seen any type of in person. Compared to the image built in his mind through cumulative tidbits, the dragon before him was a lot less explicitly beastly. The way it carried itself showed hints of majesty through the nervousness, and its bright reptilian eyes appeared intelligent rather than aggressive. Though his only child endangered herself to bring it forth, perhaps the kingdom had struck gold. Still, it was a wild animal, and he had to pry Sophia away from it so somebody more qualified could evaluate and possibly tame it.

"Sophia, I believe you will be happy to hear that the kingdom will keep this dragon as its own."

Her defensive body language then dropped, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "R-Really?"

"Yes-"

Quickly, she released an ear-piercing squeal of joy and lunged towards one of the dragon's front legs for a hug, neither of which it reacted to. "Yes! Thank you so much! I'm naming him Henry, and-"

"-but for now, you will need to leave it be while we train the thing. There is no telling what it is capable of until then."

The princess's mood fell.

"Knights, please transport the beast to- to, erm- somewhere unpopulated, and bring an expert on it as well. Leash it if it is uncooperative, but only slay it as a last resort."

The royal guards did as they were ordered and turned the dragon around, escorting it out of the courtyard without a struggle. Sophia remained stubbornly clung to its leg like a sentient wristband.

The king called out suddenly: "But you, the guard at the very back. Stop right there."

He froze in fear, coincidentally complying with his ruler's order.

"You were the one who allowed Sophia to leave her room, am I correct?"

Rigidly, he turned around and nodded, sweat staining the inside of his helmet. "That is correct, Your Majesty."

The king grumbled. "Why would you allow her to leave her room?"

"Well, I didn't necessarily _allow_ her to leave, but she was complaining about her supposed boredom and ended up wandering, and wandering... I figured it was not my place to interrupt her, and I was keeping a close watch on her anyw-"

"It could not have been too close if you let her run into the forest!" he shouted over him. "And what do you mean by 'not your place'? The one thing I hired you to do was prevent her from getting herself into trouble!"

"I-I truly am sorry, Your Majesty, not even my deepest apologies could-"

"You are useless. Begone, and leave your equipment at the armoury. I wish to never see you again as anything but a peasant!"

"Sir, please-"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

The guard was dejected, removing himself from the courtyard with his head hung in shame. Being the only remaining person there, the king spoke. "Alright, Sophia, now that all else is settled, it is time to have a talk about your self-destructive habit of escaping the castle."

He waited a couple beats for her to respond.

"Sophia?"

And then he realized she had eluded him once again.

* * *

Sophia was silently watching the sun rise over the rocky peaks from atop one of the castle's tallest turrets, the early morning breeze pushing through her straight blonde hair and sky blue gown. The view she had over the terrain surrounding the kingdom was unchanged from all the previous daily visits, yet still just as stunning as the first time she laid eyes on it. She couldn't help but sigh. In a continuation of her daily routine, she grabbed the wooden whistle she wore as a necklace and blew into it with all her might.

Looking down from the edge of the tower, the princess waited eagerly for the sound to travel. It was thirty seconds or so before she heard the familiar gusty flaps of scaled wings getting closer, their source gliding upwards over her head and gracefully making his landing on the stone brick floor.

"Good morning, Princess."

Henry had proven himself to be a valuable asset to the kingdom, and as such donned the steel helmet and various cloth banners bearing the kingdom's crest with pride. His yellow eyes looked down warmly at Sophia, who returned the gaze with a smile.

"I am happy to see you, Henry," she replied while approaching the dragon. She sat on the floor and put a pale hand on his left claw, gently petting it. "How was your patrol flight last night? Dull as usual, I trust?"

Henry stretched all six of his limbs (wings included) and proceeded to lay down, the weight of his body creating a small thump. "You are correct," he answered before a yawn, "nothing was out of the ordinary."

The princess chuckled. "There is so little criminal activity in the village it is a wonder they keep paying you night after night."

"It's a wonder I'm getting paid at all. Were it any other organization that took me in, I'd have been like a literal hound. I'd be lucky to get a treat at the end of the day."

"Then you must be thankful I found you when I did."

"Hmm, I don't know... I wouldn't have minded it if nobody at all found me. I would have made quite the beastly wild animal."

"Oh, quit it!" Sophia playfully nudged the dragon's ankle. "You would _not_ have survived in the wilderness. A band of poachers would do anything to get their hands on a hatchling abandoned by his mother."

"I'm not sure, Sophia." His nails sprawled out on the ground next to her, reflecting the light of the sun. "I could have held my own, even then."

"Thank you for reminding me. I nearly forgot you are a massive lizard that routinely fights off hordes of bandits, kidnaps damsels, and sits on a pile of jewelry."

He huffed. "I know life as a royal pet isn't the most exciting path my life could have taken, but considering you're the one who took me down it, I don't expect you to rub it in."

"I know, I know." She leaned to the side, resting her head against his scaled leg. "I truly am thankful that you are here with us. I simply have been reading too many books with portrayals of beasts who act like beasts."

"So you would rather have me challenging mercenaries and burning down villages?"

"No, I think that would be too much. I simply enjoy the excitement the idea of it offers."

"You have too much free time cooped up in your tower, Princess."

"I am well aware. If I had a choice, I believe I would be a traveling mercenary rather than a figurehead with nothing better to do than read all day."

Henry hummed. The princess was allowed by him to cuddle close, pressing a cheek against his calloused limb in silence for a while.

"I do not like the endings to the books I read."

Henry looked down at her. "Why is that?"

"Because the dragon is slain more often than not."

He smiled smugly. "What, do you project me onto these fictional beasts? Does the thought of me perishing in battle make you uncomfortable?"

She shifted uncomfortably in response. "N... no, not exactly. Or, yes — I rather like the fact that you are alive and well, Henry. I just think the stories are carried out rather simplemindedly."

"How so?"

"Well-" She put a thumb to her lip, thinking of a way to explain it succinctly. "The dragons are either portrayed as mindless creatures no better than wolves or as malevolent cancers that commit evil for the sake of it. Either way, they're treated only as obstacles to be overcome."

"Too one-dimensional for your tastes?"

"I suppose so. I usually find myself screaming at the pages: 'No true dragon would ever do that without a reason!', things like that. Even when the beast is victorious in the end, it is still entirely unsympathetic."

"I would not doubt you know dragons better than any of the authors."

"I certainly hope so, considering I talk to one for hours day after day."

"Well, I wish you luck finding a novel that treats my kind with respect."

She nodded, her eyelids slowly lowering. "Mm-hm."

The royal duo remained motionless for a while longer, soaking in the sun as the sky transitioned from a gradient orange to bright blue.

"Oh dear, I have just remembered something my father told me."

"Do speak up, Princess."

"He is working on finding a suitor for me to carry on the kingdom's legacy with."

Henry's eyes widened a bit. "A suitor? You mean a prince?"

"If all goes well, yes."

The dragon wasn't sure how to react. "I pray nothing goes too far astray."

"I thought you would see the issue, Henry."

He blinked. "Kindly explain."

"I am not getting a choice in the matter."

"I believe that's the standard procedure most non-incestuous monarchies have used for centuries."

"What if I do not like the bachelor?"

"Then I suppose you request the king find a new one. It's in his best interest to keep this kingdom afloat, and if the two highest rulers are incompatible, it is destined to fall one way or another."

"...While I would prefer I choose the prince myself, I suppose you have a point." She sighed. "I will do my best to explain that to him."

He paused for a moment. "Princess, have you met the suitor yet?"

"I have not. Why do you ask?"

"Then why do you already think you won't get along?"

She didn't realize she phrased it as such. "O-oh, um... it is but a feeling. I should pay it no mind."

* * *

To the call of Sophia's wooden instrument, Henry instinctively took to the air from his man-made resting cavern and flew to its only possible source just as he did every day. Landing on top of the turret had become like breathing, able to glide onto it with a practiced perfect majesty that wouldn't look out of place at a talent show. Careful to manage his weight so the princess's tower wouldn't crumble beneath them, his wings rested.

"Good morning, Princess."

"Good morning, Henry." She curtsied.

"How did your meeting with the suitor turn out?"

She sighed, looking up at the other with a cocked head resting against one of her palms. "I do not think I need to say it at this point."

"Poorly?"

"Poorly."

The dragon thoughtfully hummed, closing his eyes. "That marks the ninth man you haven't gotten along with, Princess."

"Yes, yes... I am aware." She looked over the stone brick railings longingly. Her dragon drew closer, looking off to the horizon alongside her.

"Why did nothing come of this one?"

"Oh, it was for a similar reason to the third or fourth man my father brought forward. I cannot recall his name, but he was the _scholar_ who let slip he found my taste in literature cause for concern." She laughed softly to herself, though she obviously didn't find it funny. "I am glad the latest man told me on the first date rather than waiting six months like the other, at least."

Henry shook his head. "I still have trouble believing the king is this bad a judge of character. Are you absolutely certain you aren't the cause of any of these splits?"

"I do not like to talk about this, Henry..."

"I know you don't, but it deeply concerns the future of the kingdom, which I am a member of."

Sophia did not reply.

"I will not push it if it bothers you that mu-"

Quite suddenly, she fell to her knees in a small bout of tears. She attempted to wipe them away as they came rolling down her face. "All of them are my fault, Henry. I keep pushing the suitors away. I cannot stand them..."

"P-Please, Princess, do not cry- just- shh..." The dragon held out a claw with an open palm and nudged her back as gently as his beastly form allowed. Almost instinctively, she fell backwards into it and laid there, cupped within while she managed her sobbing. "It is not your fault if you dislike the men your father picks out."

"But... it is." She sniffled.

"It can't be."

"He will never find a suitable man, and... it is all my fault."

The larger creature shook his head. "It simply cannot be. How?"

Her breath was hitched in her throat.

"Please, Princess, if there's something you need to say-"

"I hate humans," she responded, looking up at him through tears that were quickly drying. "I... I cannot bear them any longer."

"Sophia..."

"They brought me into this world just to treat me like a decorative doll... I hardly have any will of my own. They keep me stuck in the kingdom, and within its bounds the only place where I have any semblance of privacy is my own bedroom. B-Beyond that, they... they are hairy and disgusting. I could never love one."

Henry was unsure what to think. Though he thought she was acting edgy (for lack of a better word) he didn't think it was entirely unreasonable in her position. Before he could come up with a coherent response, she had turned her head to the side and nuzzled her nose into the side of one of his digits.

"They simply... do not do anything for me, Henry." A hand lifted and gently stroked the scaled finger. "They are far too safe and ordinary. Quite unruly when they show their true colours, too — but never entirely willing to commit to their feral nature."

His eyes were wide. "Princess, what are you implying?"

"I love you so, so much, Henry dearest." Her trembling lips curled into a smile, speaking against his skin. "The only moments where I do not feel trapped are when I am with you..."

A breathy gasp was sucked into the dragon's throat as Sophia's confession lingered around him. Its implications carefully eased into his mind in the dozen seconds it took to process it, and ultimately, he found himself liking the way it made his heart pound.

"I... I believe I love you too, Sophia."

She turned to look up at him. "Really...?"

"I haven't considered it until this moment, but... yes. Yes, I do."

"Henry..." Tears once again filled the princess's eyes, her eyes sparkling with unbridled joy in the sunlight. She energetically pounced from the beast's hold and threw her body against his chest, allowing her smaller form to rest against it. He was quite used to being cuddled like this, but with her feelings out in the open, it felt alien and blissful. Or maybe he simply wasn't used to tears being dried on his scales.

The claw that previously held her was lifted to press her closer against his body, a thumb's claw carefully stroking through her golden strands of hair. The pair was content to rest like this for as long as thirty minutes, the embrace being broken by the one who started it. It was rather sudden, but she hurriedly spoke:

"Henry, my love, will you not help me escape this kingdom?"

His claw fell back to the floor. "I can see you are suffering here, Sophia, but I don't believe that's the best course of action. Should we not see if your father approves of our union first?"

"Do not be ridiculous." She put her hands to her chest. "He shall have you castrated at best and euthanized at worst. He has grown frustrated with my crippling incompatibility and knowing it is because my heart belongs to a beast could very well drive him mad."

"I suppose it's not worth the risk if you want freedom so badly."

"That is exactly right. Anyway, er..." Quickly, she scanned around the edges of the turret, scouting the walls leading up to the roof, the castle, and finally the ground far beneath them. The chance of there being any unwanted souls eavesdropping was low, but Sophia kept her voice down regardless. "Over this last year, I have spent my time coming up with a foolproof plan to escape this wretched place, and it requires your help."

"Then allow me to hear it."

Her eyes darted from side to side. "I just- I just need to hear that you can carry it out with no questions asked. Is that alright?"

"Sophia, you're making me nervous."

" _Please_ , Henry..."

"Alright, alright, I can do it."

"Okay. Whew." She took a deep breath and ran her hands down her face, slick with sweat. "At noon, once we normally part ways, I need you to instead swallow me and keep me held in your stomach."

A brow quirked, but he kept listening.

"Continue with your rounds as usual. The kingdom will probably notice my disappearance by then, but they will have no way to find me. Feign ignorance when questioned. Finally, under the guise of scouting far and wide for me, fly off with me held in your gut and we can start a new life together."

Once she finished speaking, Henry pondered her suggestion in silence. Their gaze was held on each other, Sophia's nervous and shaky.

"...That is awfully clever, Sophia, but I can see a couple issues with it."

"E-Elaborate. I have thought about it for a while, and I believe-"

"Would you not overheat resting in my belly for so long?"

"I will be fine. This dress is thin. I am sure my bedroom on the average summer day is more humid. Dragons are cold-blooded, are they not?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean my blood is literally chilly. I have a more pleasant idea: why don't I bring a delivery crate up here and you climb inside? I could fly it off the next time I'm ordered to and people would assume I was struck down when I don't return."

Sophia's heart sank.

"Would carrying a crate here not look suspicious?"

"A little, I suppose, but I've been loyal for so long they won't be able to do a thing by the time they realize something's wrong."

"I... well," The princess stammered and tugged at the collar of her dress, "that _is_ a fine alternative, I must admit, but I have had the eating idea for so long, I... I _really_ want to see if it works as well as I envision it."

"But given the choice between spending over a day in a crate or-"

"Your stomach." She hastily nodded, her face pink. "I choose your stomach."

Henry blinked.

"...Sophia, at the risk of sounding meaner than I intend, do you _want_ to be eaten by me?"

"...yes."

"But... why?"

She shifted uncomfortably, the involuntarily smile plastered over her face attempting to hide her internal suffering. "Dear, I... I am really going to need to explain it, after all this time." Open palms ran down her face and she blew a lengthy puff of air out of her mouth. "I suppose there is nobody better to trust this with than you, Henry... erm, very well. There is nothing I love more than seeing big, strong beasts acting on their most primal instincts... you know, roaring from the mountaintops as an assertion of dominance, taking young women to their lairs, making them their snack maybe..." Her voice lowered further as she rambled on, her fingertips dancing against each other sporadically. She couldn't keep her straight, elegant posture all throughout.

"...And because you like seeing these poor damsels devoured, you want to become one?" His expression was difficult to read.

"Yes! Yes." She nodded. "It is- it is an exciting thought, really. Have you never been tempted to swallow me whole?"

"I can't say I remember ever thinking that."

"Not even just a little taste...?"

"I do not think so..."

"Oh." Her eyes were unfocused, darting around and never able to settle. " _Would_ you be willing to do it for me...?"

He put a claw to his chin. "I suppose I'm not against it, assuming it's only for the castle escape..."

"Yes!" She curtsied hastily. "Thank you so very much, my dearest. Let us- let us start this as soon as possible, then."

"You don't want to wait until noon anymore?"

"Springing this discussion on you has made me... more eager than I anticipated."

"Very well." His reptilian eyes stared blankly down at her form, the recontextualization of her being his prey still not easy to process. If he had never been taken in by her and groomed by the crown, how many of her kind would he have made meals of? Her speech, short and nervous as it was, had a definite effect on him. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad... but he still had to wonder: "How are we to go about this?"

"You are not as experienced with this as a dragon should be, so simply lower your head and allow me to acquaint myself with your mouth."

He nodded obediently and rested his jaw flat against the ground in front of Sophia, who smiled in appreciation. "I do not think I have seen your face this close before," she said as her body quaked with anticipation. A petite hand pet over the dragon's nose as his eyes crossed to see her. "Open wide, dearest Henry."

Like an alligator's, his maw lifted open, the tip of his nose raised high while his jaw remained grounded. A gush of hot air blew out over Sophia's dress and she was given the best view she ever had of his throat. Saliva dripped from his top row of pointed teeth down onto the lower set, pooling under his thick textured tongue. The mouth looked just barely big enough to crawl inside in one piece, and as his prey, she was elated.

Sophia knelt down and let the hot breath wash over her face, its beastly stench invading her nose and filling her nose. She couldn't keep herself stable any longer. Her legs were shivering so heavily the only option she had was to fall ungracefully forward into his mouth, bouncing against his large cushion of a tongue with a breathy cry of bliss. Dragon saliva soaked the front of her dress, coating her face as well as her arms once she wrapped them around the organ.

And then, she rested.

She was entirely content with the position she was in, body weighing down on the big beast's tastebuds, cuddling the length of her lover's muscle like a pillow — all that was left was for Henry to take initiative, forcing her deep into the total darkness of his gut of his own volition. But then again, there is no _tongue_ in the dragon's stomach, or _anyone's_ stomach. She didn't expect to love the tongue of all things so much. Somehow, it felt comforting. Its touch was a brief precursor to better times, coming before the waiting period in his pouch of a belly and even further before she'd return to breathing pure fresh air once more.

Once Henry had gotten used to the feeling of the girl laying belly-first on his tongue, the outer walls of his muzzle began to clamp down around her. His teeth poked into her calves, but he was careful enough to avoid breaking skin. He loosened his jaw, gave a sharp inhale, then quickly slammed it shut once her legs were no longer in danger. The princess was now blind inside his wet, cramped cave. Breathing heavily through his nose, his neck straightened and his limbs lifted him from the ground.

Feeling the princess's limbs jitter through the high-end fabric of her dress and rub against every side of his mouth was incomparable to anything he'd felt previous. His food was killed before he ever ate it, if it was alive to begin with, and never had he held it in his mouth until now. Similarly, he was never emotionally attached to it — why the hell would he be? The absurdity of the whole situation hit him suddenly. He had a lot of things he wanted to say, but not a single way to communicate them, what with his mouth being full of their intended recipient. Maybe he could draw letters on her stomach with his tongue? No, that's ridiculous. But it _did_ give him an idea.

He was still unsure how his princess was enjoying this, but as long as his body existed as her happy place, he would do his damn best to make her happy. His tongue wagged once gently from left to right, then once more when her arms did not let go — it was a good dozen or so cycles before she either got the idea or lost her grip. Either way, he heard her giggling wildly from inside his own head. He thought the sensation was no different than an unwanted bug buzzing around his ears, but tolerated it without issue.

Now that her body was loose, he shifted his tongue a bit more wildly. It slid along the bottom of his mouth in slow, rhythmic motions, Sophia rolling around and around in the cramped space, her heeled shoes clanking uselessly against his teeth. Soon, she was left dripping wet from head to toe, the playful joy she was feeling overpowering the dizziness. Despite this, she was still getting somewhat impatient, attempting to crawl deeper into the depths of his body to get her point across.

Henry was happy to oblige, and did it much more suddenly than she was anticipating. His head was thrown back in a 45 degree tilt, and gravity beckoned her to slide down. Instinct first made her grasp at the organ she laid loosely on, but it proved not malleable enough to get a solid grip on. The next thing she knew, her head was sucked in by the meaty tube of the esophagus. Careful to keep her head straight as to not slice it with her bejeweled tiara, the rest of her figure was quickly swallowed, and one of her shoes was nearly lost during the short trip down.

Sophia was spit out in the cramped pit of his stomach, surrounded by total blackness in every direction. Her nose was overwhelmed by a strong, stale odour she had no hope of identifying, but assumed to be some sort of manufactured dragon feed. His insides functioned as an effective noise canceller, the girl within unable to hear the breeze that ran over the turret. The only noises she made out were his body working to keep him moving — his rhythmic heartbeat, the blood flowing through his veins surrounding her, and the occasional squelch of a cause or purpose she did not know. Not daring to taste the walls of the stomach, the only sense she could rely on was touch.

Her fingers stroked over the slick, moist sides of the dragon's innards which she could feel in every direction immediately surrounding her. The limited space allotted to her had her forced into the fetal position, unless she wanted to wanted to test how malleable his body was, which she absolutely did not. Despite all signs pointing her consciousness towards being stressed and confined, she was able to relax without issue.

It was the first new place Sophia had been since she originally snuck into the forest. Despite the humidity, despite the lack of room, despite there being nothing to look at, she felt safer than she ever had in her life. Soon, her lover would put their plan into motion, and she would feel his stomach shift ever so slightly with the movement of his limbs, his flapping through the air — perhaps his low voice could even be felt vibrating around her! Any sign that her dragon was working would be a momentous occasion in her position.

All that was left to do was wait to be regurgitated, whenever that may be. Hopefully she wouldn't come back up too forcefully.

* * *

Henry blinked. Then he blinked a couple more times. He scanned from left to right, then above and below him, and finally put a claw on the yellow-scaled belly of his. The princess was _inside him_ — perfectly alive, and in all likelihood beside herself with happiness. That was that.

"Sophia, can you hear me?"

He waited a few moments but did not hear anything in return.

"Sophia?" he spoke with a raised voice, his neck folded to point at his belly. Once again, she did not respond. Either she couldn't hear him or he couldn't hear her. If it was the former, then he wasn't going to try again. Should anyone besides Sophia hear him shouting at his own body, the plan would be forfeit the moment that person realizes the ridiculousness of it.

He gave a deep breath. Maybe... he would just rest there for a minute, soaking in the sun before he was called back down for work. Let his nerves settle along with the thought that he just ate the girl he began to love mere moments ago in one piece. After this, he would need to avoid acting up around all the guards, the animal handlers, and the royals themselves. He was not a talented actor and prayed his usual stoic demeanour would carry him through the twenty-four hours to come.

Before he laid down, he gave his belly one gentle pat, a smile forming on his scaly muzzle. "I hope you're holding up well in here, my love."


End file.
